New Delhi - The Indian Navy successfully warded off an attack by pirates on an Indian merchant vessel in the Gulf of Aden on Tuesday, a navy release said.

An unnamed Indian Navy warship patrolling the Gulf of Aden picked up an SOS from merchant ship MV Jag Arnav about a hijacking attempt and sent an armed helicopter with marine commandos to stop the pirates from boarding the ship, the release said.

"This timely and successful intervention led to the pirates aborting their attempt," the release added.

The Indian Navy warship then escorted MV Jag Arnav to safety.

The Indian Navy has been conducting anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden, which links the Middle East with Asia and Europe, since late October after a spate of pirate attacks on merchant vessels off the coast of Somalia.

The International Maritime Bureau recently described the region as "the number one piracy danger zone" with 26 vessels hijacked by Somali pirates with 537 crew members taken hostage in the period from July to September. (dpa)